Endangered Leatherback turtles arrive in UK waters to munch on jellyfish. “We’re right in the middle of the turtle spotting season - so keep your eyes peeled for this endangered species swimming off the coast We need your help in recording the movements of one of the lesser spotted visitors to UK shores. Whether you’re a coastal path walker or a sea user, please do look out for leatherbacks turtles and report anything that you see using our sightings section of the website. Weighing up to a tonne and measuring almost three metres in length, these incredible creatures - which resemble a large, black leather settee - are unlike any other reptile in that they can maintain their own body heat up to18 degrees centigrade warmer than even the chilliest of British summer seas. Whilst leatherback turtle populations face extinction in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, many nesting populations in the Atlantic appear to be increasing. It’s not clear why the Atlantic Ocean has become the last stronghold for the leatherback turtle. While conservation action at important nesting beaches is likely to be playing a part, it may also be due to the increasing availability of their jellyfish prey, combined with collapses in the populations of predatory fish such as tuna and sharks. August is the peak time to see leatherback turtles in UK waters, as they arrive from their nesting grounds in the Caribbean to refuel on our abundant seasonal jellyfish blooms. So far this year 12 sightings have been reported from South West Wales and England, 7 of which have been seen in the last fortnight. The leatherback is the largest of all marine turtle species and at a distance could be mistaken for a floating log, but if you approach them slowly and carefully, once you see their large reptilian head, massive flippers and ridged leathery shell you can’t mistake them for anything else. Retired submarine engineer Godfrey Day, from Hampshire was holidaying in Cornwall when he spotted a leatherback just south of St Agnes Head in late July: “We were walking back along the low route from the old mine works at Chapel Porth when we saw this big thing floating in the water. I immediately thought it was a sunfish, but when I got the binoculars out I could see it was a leatherback. I’d say it was between six to eight feet long and it was wallowing on the surface about 50 yards from the cliff. Interestingly it was missing its left fore flipper - there was a white scar where it should have been. We watched it for about fifteen minutes!” We have been encouraging the reporting of marine turtles in UK waters since 2001, and leatherbacks make up 75 per cent of those sightings already recorded. To help identify turtles in UK waters, you can download The UK Turtle Code, created by MCS with support from Natural England and Scottish Natural Heritage. The code describes the different species and how to identify them and who to report them to.